Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards City of Coral Springs $1 Million for Public Art Project Focused on Healing After Gun Violence

Coral Springs, FL – Bloomberg Philanthropies announced today the City of Coral Springs, in partnership with the City of Parkland, is a winner of its 2018 Public Art Challenge. Coral Springs will receive $1 million for its project “Inspiring Community Healing After Gun Violence: The Power of Art.” The project will use art to bring the community together in collective healing and reflection following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD) shooting in February of 2018.

Coral Springs Museum of Art will be home to workshops and artist talks for community members and schools. Five art installations will be created with extensive input from residents and placed throughout the city. Community advisory participants will include members of the Coral Springs Police Department, Cultural Affairs division, licensed art therapists, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas students.

Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Chairman of Everytown for Gun Safety, and former Mayor of New York City said, “This project is a powerful example of the ways public art can bring communities together and draw attention to important issues. I hope that it will help bring some solace to people who have lost loved ones to gun violence, including all the families in Parkland – and that it will help to prevent further tragedies by inspiring more people to act.”

Parkland’s Mayor Christine Hunschofsky said, “The Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy has traumatized our community in ways we could never have imagined. We believe this project will be an important help with our community’s resilience.”

Lou Cimaglia, Acting Mayor of Coral Springs said, “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School includes many Coral Springs residents. The tragic events of February 14, 2018 had a tremendous impact on our City and the City of Parkland. In our grief and sadness, our cities came together to work on healing by presenting this series of temporary public art projects.”

Beginning on February 14, 2019, the first anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the project will draw from the Coral Springs Museum of Art’s “Healing with Art,” program, which was established in the months following the shooting as an immediate response to address trauma experienced by students, teachers, and parents. Five artists were selected by the community advisory committee:

David Best, internationally acclaimed artist known for building large elaborate temples and intricate sculptures.

Kate Gilmore, award winning installation, video and performance artist and professor of Art and Design at SUNY Purchase in New York.

Carl Juste, Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist for the Miami Herald and founder of Iris Collective, a coalition of photographers, writers and cultural activists.

Steven and William Ladd, two brothers with extensive experience in public art works with a rich body of work consisting of drawing, design and performance art.

Julia Andrews, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Coral Springs Museum of Art, said, “The collaborative experience of this public art project seeks to reduce feelings of isolation and build community bonds. We hope it will help us heal as a community from this trauma that even nearly a year later is still too raw.”

About the Public Art Challenge:In February, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to submit proposals for temporary public art projects that address important civic issues, and demonstrate an ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies.

More than 200 cities applied for the 2018 Public Art Challenge with proposals reflecting diverse artistic mediums addressed a range of pressing issues and social themes such as community development, environmental sustainability, cultural identity and immigration. Fourteen finalists were announced in July. Earlier this month, Anchorage, Alaska was the first city to be announced as a winner in the 2018 Public Art Challenge for “SEED Lab”. Additional winning cities will be announced in the coming weeks.

Submissions were evaluated on a number of factors, including their potential viability as dynamic public art projects, impact on civic issues, community engagement strategies, and capacity to establish or strengthen public-private partnerships.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has a proven track record of supporting creative and innovative public art. Over 400 cities have submitted proposals for consideration in the Public Art Challenge since 2014. The foundation’s inaugural Public Art Challenge catalyzed $13 million for local economies across the four winning regions and illuminated civic issues including economic decline, vacancy, water conservation and police-community relations.

About Bloomberg PhilanthropiesBloomberg Philanthropies works in 480 cities in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $702 million. For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.